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ElectronicPaper posts

AUO demonstrates 6-inch flexible electronic paper, pledges production for next year

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 20th 2009 at 7:29AM

If e-paper is ever really going to have a chance against tree-paper it's going to have to get a lot more flexible. We've seen multiple demonstrations of bendable wares from LG and even big daddy E Ink, but AUO is the first to pledge mass production of the stuff (since the Readius went bust), starting in 2010. The company has demonstrated a 6-inch flexible display offering 16 shades of gray and a contrast ratio of 9:1, which sounds terrible but is actually slightly better than the Kindle's 7:1. The company is also showing off a 20-inch non-bendy version that should also hit production sometime next year. When will either get the hammer treatment? That remains to be seen.

[Via DigiTimes]

PVI to buy E Ink for $215 million

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 1st 2009 at 4:16AM

You may not know who Taiwan-based Prime View International is but the makers of the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader sure do. See, PVI is the company that builds the electronic paper displays for the world's most popular ebook readers. Now, it's also the expectant owner of US-based E Ink and all the associated patents that come with. The deal, if approved by government regulators, is expected to close by October.

Video: ASU's touch-screen ePaper display evokes the future from the past

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 25th 2009 at 4:27AM

With the Kindle back in the news, everyone's interested in showing off their E-Ink displays. Here we have the latest video from Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center. Their new bendy display is touch-sensitive (stylus or finger) and makes us long for Apple's old Newton for some reason. Check the video after the break to see why.

[Via I4U News]

Continue reading Video: ASU's touch-screen ePaper display evokes the future from the past

E-paper signs being tested in Tokyo for disaster prevention

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jan 27th 2009 at 3:38AM

While we're still waiting for our electronic broadsheet (hell, we'll settle for a tabloid) it looks like folks in Toshima will be seeing quite a bit of the e-paper as they hit the streets of this Tokyo ward. In a test conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the signage has been installed in the proximity of the Toshima Life and Industry Plaza, where a wireless network was established to provide updates in case of an emergency. There are currently two signs: one in the lobby of the post office measures over three meters across and sports 240 x 768 resolution (the paper has 4mm pixels), and holds down power consumption at about 24W. Stationed at the Higashi-Ikebukuro bus stop, the second sign is 60 x 40 centimeters with 144 x 96 resolution, and power consumption here is about 9W. The test will run until January 29th, after which point the city will have to rely upon its usual civil defense repertoire -- which is believed to include the vigilant eye of Honda's 49-foot ASIMO.

Kent Displays develops "paper thin" electronic skin for mobiles

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2008 at 9:50AM

You probably didn't know it, but if you've purchased anything with an unconventional display in the last few years, the screen itself may have been sourced from Kent, Ohio. Kent Displays is about to break out of its own shadow with two new technologies that could be rolling off of the production line next year. First up is a simple monochrome electronic writing tablet that consists of a pressure sensitive display (think next-generation Post-it note), while the second is a particularly impressive color changing electronic skin. In essence, the latter (dubbed eGo) requires no power at all to maintain any color already rendered on the surface, meaning that ladies can instantly make their phone match their outfit without sucking the life from their mobile. For those keenly interested, hit the read link for the full background along with a video of the production facility.

[Thanks, Tod]

NEC tiling e-ink displays for massive coverage

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 28th 2008 at 8:29AM

What's better than a single low-power e-ink display? How about eight of them stuck together to form one massive sheet? NEC is indicating it can now tile up to eight displays together to achieve maximum reflective real estate, composed of digital sheets matching standard A4 (8.3- x 11.7-inches) and A3 (11.5- × 16.5-inches) sizes, the latter having only a 1mm border. Eight of those stitched in two rows of four could make a display nearly two feet tall and over five feet wide. No resolution specs are given, and the 10:1 contrast ratio is standard stuff, but these displays do offer 16-shades of grayscale -- four times that offered by Oprah's new favorite thing. Naturally, there's no mention of when we can hope to start covering our walls with these things, but hopefully NEC will get these out in time for the e-ink market to take off in the latter-half of 2009.

E Ink exec sees e-newspapers going commercial in 2009

by Darren Murph posted Jun 24th 2008 at 7:09PM

Yeah, quite a few rags out there have already diverted at least some of their efforts to the electronic press, but according to E Ink's Ryosuke Kuwata, the trend is set to explode in late 2009. Said VP, who is currently in charge of market development, admitted that some newspapers in Japan, America and Europe are all looking to make the move to e-paper in the not-too-distant future. He also stated that "verification tests" (trials, we presume) would be starting up "using several thousands of terminals by the end of 2008," and that the company would "gradually shift to a specific business in the second half of 2009." Reading the local headlines on e-paper, scooting to the market in a flying vessel and showing up to work by flipping on a hologram transmitter. Meatloaf always said two out of three wasn't bad.

Epson and E Ink partner on controller IC for e-paper displays

by Darren Murph posted Apr 15th 2008 at 8:03PM

Epson and E Ink, two mainstays in the electronic paper realm, have pooled their resources in order to develop an all new display controller IC set to enable "faster navigation, multitasking and real-time pen / keyboard input." The S1D13521 chip is slated to be used in E Ink's Vizplex-enabled electronic paper displays (EPDs), and it'll also be making an appearance in said company's forthcoming AM300 Broadsheet prototype kit (pictured). In layman's terms, this device should speed up the user interface considerably, as it will enable the display to "perform up to 16 tasks in parallel and support smooth and responsive pen input devices for annotations and sketches." As for availability, we're seeing that samples ($18 apiece) should make their way out next month, while production quantities won't be able to scamper free until August.

[Thanks, Jack]

Seiko Epson shows off UXGA e-paper display

by Darren Murph posted Nov 16th 2007 at 9:44AM

Those fortunate enough to traverse the halls of Embedded Technology 2007 could've seen Seiko Epson's latest wonder up close and in person, but for the rest of us, we'll have to settle for the above picture and a drool-worthy description. The prototype e-paper terminal measures in at just 3-millimeters thick and weighs only 57-grams, and it's even equipped with a USB port. Furthermore, it features a 6.7-inch display with a luscious 1,600 x 1,200 resolution, but the unit on display could only handle grayscale imagery. Also of note, the entire unit was powered by a single button cell battery, which enabled the screen to be redrawn upwards of 1,400 times (at 0.7-seconds per redraw) before running out of juice. Details surrounding its eventual commercialization were pretty much par for the course, meaning your guess is as good as ours at this point. Two more snapshots after the jump.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Seiko Epson shows off UXGA e-paper display

Bridgestone shows off ultrathin, full-color e-paper

by Darren Murph posted Oct 22nd 2007 at 5:16PM

Just last year Bridgestone was feelin' pretty good about itself for unveiling the "world's thinnest" sheet of two-color e-paper. These days, the outfit is busy showing off a new version that measures in at just 0.29-millimeters thick and is capable of displaying 4,096 colors on an eight-inch display. In case that wasn't enough, the company is also touting what it calls the "world's largest full color e-paper that is A3 size, which is equivalent to a 21.4-inch screen." As you'd expect, the latter is expected to be used solely for advertising and could hit the market as early as next year, while the former technology is set to be commercially available in 2009. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

[Via Japan Today, image courtesy of NewLaunches]

Fujitsu's FLEPia e-reader features color display, WiFi

by Darren Murph posted Apr 20th 2007 at 12:10PM

While cranking out a couple of new e-readers may be big doings for some companies, it's just what we've come to expect from Fujitsu. Adding to its collection of e-ink-related niceties, the FLEPia "portable information terminals" will reportedly be available in an A5 size (weighing 480 grams) and an A4 flavor (320 grams), and both are just 12-millimeters thick. While details are admittedly scarce, you can reportedly read "up to two year's worth of magazines" on a single 4GB SD flash card, but you'll be recharging the battery every 50 hours or so along the way. Additionally, users will enjoy the convenience of WiFi connectivity built right in, and the six control buttons (plus a scroll key) should keep your pages aligned. The device is slated to land in white pearl, silver, and the obligatory pink pearl motifs, but considering the presumably lofty pricetags attached to each of these desirable units, we can't imagine too many early adopters diving in just yet.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Polymer Vision unveils "Cellular-Book" with rollable display

by Donald Melanson posted Feb 5th 2007 at 2:47PM

Phillips spin-off Polymer Vision looks to be making fast work on its most recent promise to commercialize its foldable display this year, with the company set to officially unveil the first product to use the would-be paper killer at next week's 3GSM conference in Spain. Somewhat awkwardly dubbed the "Cellular-Book," the device will initially be offered by Telecom Italia (in Italy, naturally) although it appears to be more book than cellular. The main bit of kit is, of course, that rollable, foldable display, which can extend to a full five inches yet still wrap up into a device "smaller than the typical mobile phone." The cellular part of the equation comes in the form of a combination of EDGE, UMTS, and DVB-H capabilities, which will give you access to an array of different services viewable in 16 levels of gray, including e-mail. RSS feeds and, of course, e-books, which you'll be able to purchase through Telecom Italia's mobile network. Though they won't make as heavy use of that display, you'll also be able to load up the device with music and podcasts, with a relatively hefty 4GB of storage provided to satisfy your media appetite. Unfortunately, there's no word on price or a launch date just yet, though that would seem to be likely detail to be revealed at the big unveiling next week.

[Via TeleRead, thanks Richard]

Toshiba Matsushita electronic paper alternative hits mass production

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 16th 2007 at 10:00PM

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology looks to be making a big play in the rapidly growing electronic paper/ink industry, announcing that its 5-inch monochrome VGA display has gone into mass production. While less flexible than some alternatives, Toshiba Matsushita's display looks like it should be relatively easy on the eyes, with a 12:1 contrast ratio, 20 ms response time, and 16 levels of gray, with some internal and external reflective mojo eliminating the need for a backlight. Obviously not enough to cut it in a PMP, but more than adequate for some paperless page-turning. Just as importantly, the display keeps power consumption down to a minimum, consuming just 4mW of power in 2-level greyscale mode and 20mW in full 16-level mode. Unfortunately, the company hasn't yet provided any firm production numbers, nor has it given any indication when the displays might actually find their way into some products.

[Via MobileRead]

Plastic Logic to build first electronic paper plant

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 5th 2007 at 11:28PM

U.K.-based Plastic Logic has announced that it has secured some $100 million in funding to build the world's first factory dedicated to manufacturing plastic electronics on a commercial scale. More specifically, the factory's set to produce flexible active matrix display modules, aimed at making various electronic reading devices a little more portable and a little less hard on the eyes. According to the company, the plant will be built in Dresden, Germany, with production set to ramp up sometime in 2008 at an initial capacity of more than a million display modules per year.

[Via Slashdot]

Hitachi showing off color version of Albirey e-paper

by Evan Blass posted Jul 27th 2006 at 10:05AM

Now that monochrome e-paper is a pretty standard affair, those at the forefront of e-ink technology have moved on to perfecting the real killer app, which is full-color displays. We've already seen a tiny color model from Fujitsu, and a larger, but only two-color offering from Bridgestone, and now Hitachi -- maker of the black-and-white Albirey e-paper -- is showing off a 13.1-inch version of this product will an impressive 4,096-color palette. Apparently the power-saving "RGBW" filter enables the device to display bright whites as well as deep blacks, but the trade-off is the unit's rather underwhelming resolution of just 512 x 384 pixels. Therefore, we probably won't be seeing color eBooks anytime soon, but the low res should be adequate enough for certain types of signage that would benefit from the paper's ability to hold a picture in the absence of power; we think they would look great advertising all the quality products found at Engadget's retail location.

[Via MobileRead]